


Cocoon's Embrace

by VSSAKJ



Category: Tales of Graces
Genre: Community: bloodyvalentine, Gen, Impalement, Skinning, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-28
Updated: 2013-02-28
Packaged: 2017-12-03 22:28:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,033
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/703320
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VSSAKJ/pseuds/VSSAKJ
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“And what can you do now, Protos Heiss? You're trapped in the very core of my power, unable to move, let alone to challenge me. And you're failing.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cocoon's Embrace

**Author's Note:**

> Spoilers for World's Eye. Written for the kink combo of impalement and skinning.

When she came to her senses, there was grit between her teeth. Cheria pushed herself to her knees and peered around; the area was unfamiliar, strewn with debris and without the ocean in sight. Her heart seized with sudden panic. “Asbel?” She cried as she scrambled to her feet and clutched her fists to her chest, “Sophie?!”

“Ungh...”

The voice was familiar—she turned quickly, and spied Pascal slowly sitting up. “Oh thank goodness.” Cheria rushed over, kneeling next to the other woman and quickly running her hands over Pascal's shoulders, “Pascal, are you okay? I don't know what happened to the others, but they must be all right. I don't think we made it—”

Pascal pointed up, wonderment in her voice. “Hey, Cheria... ? Where'd the sky go?”

“What?” Cheria gasped, “Oh no...”

 

“It would appear we failed to escape before Richard laid waste to this place.” Hubert mused aloud, arms crossed over his chest as he paced back and forth among the rubble. He refused to panic, even if they knew precious little about their situation. Captain Malik was here alongside him; he had no doubts that between the two of them, they would figure some answer.

“Indeed.” Malik cricked the back of his neck and looked off towards one of the heaving, veined walls in the distance, “I wonder if that boat managed to escape.”

Hubert stood up straighter, shoving his glasses sharply up his nose. “ _I_ wonder if Asbel and Sophie are all right.”

“And the others.” Malik brushed off Hubert's scorn , and made a beckoning gesture, “Let's go.”

 

He awoke to the sound of a familiar voice spewing words he didn't understand, and a profound ache between his shoulder blades.

“And what can you do now, Protos Heiss?” It sounded like a sneer; he wondered who 'Protos Heiss' was supposed to be. “You're trapped in the very core of my power, unable to move, let alone to challenge me. And you're failing.”

 _'That's Richard's voice,'_ Asbel realised with a start. He forced his eyes open, and what he saw made him gasp: the walls of the room glowed red around them, pulsing like a living thing; Sophie flickered pale and white, suspended opposite from him, and he suddenly understood why his own body ached so badly; that—the thing talking had to be Richard, but his skin was streaked with purple, and jagged, silvery wings protruded from his back, and his hair had gone lank and white.

Asbel began to struggle, overwhelmed with concern, “Sophie! Can you hear me? Sophie!”

He recoiled when Richard's gaze lit upon him; Richard's smile was unsettling. “Ah, Asbel. You're finally awake. Protos Heiss has been wondering when you would join us.” Richard gripped Sophie by the chin, tightly enough that Asbel heard her gasp as talons pricked into her skin.

“Richard, what are you talking about? Can't you see Sophie's sick? We need to help her!”

“You're unable to save her from her fate. Her destiny is to die fighting me.” The talons pinched tighter, and blood trickled down Sophie's neck. She made another weak sound of protest, her expression pinched with pain.

“No!” Asbel struggled harder against his bonds, fighting back the nervous bile marching into his throat. Richard couldn't be doing this. Not _Richard_. “Don't you remember the pact we made?”

“... Pact.”

For the first time, Asbel heard hesitance in Richard's voice. He surged onward, speaking with urgent desperation, “Yes, the friendship pact! You, and me, and Sophie, don't you remember? You don't have to fight Sophie, Richard. We can help you.”

Richard looked away, his face twisted—then dark energy shimmered, and Richard snarled, “Don't talk lies. None of you are able to help me.”

“Yes we can! All of us, we'll help you, Richard, please!”

“No!” With a sudden roar, Richard's attention rounded back onto Sophie, and he seized her by the shoulders to rip her away from the wall. The bindings slithered from her body and Richard held her aloft with ease as he drew one arm down and brought his talons together into a single point. Asbel screamed as Richard then plunged his arm through Sophie's stomach, and she screamed in turn as her body cracked around the intrusion before slumping forward. The light died. Blood flowed down Richard's arm before he flung Sophie's limp body away; as he turned to Asbel, he smiled wickedly. “She was going to be the one watching you die, Asbel. She was going to know helplessness as I have. She was going to know how much she _hurt me_. But it seems I was too hasty.” He cocked his head towards Sophie's heaped limbs. “She isn't dead yet. Maybe she'll wake before you're finished.”

Asbel stared. He could feel the tears coursing down his face and his mouth working open and shut, but no words came to his lips. All his body felt numb, and when his throat finally managed a single word, it was not Sophie's name—as he'd intended—but Richard's. Then again, even quieter, “Richard, please...”

Richard stalked across the room, trailing Sophie's blood behind him. “I hate you.” He reached Asbel and pressed his talons into Asbel's throat, “You're a lying fool, Asbel.”

“Why are you doing this, Richard?” Asbel's voice cracked, but he kept on, “What about Windor? What about our friendship?”

“You abandoned me.” Richard stated, cold as ice. “You betrayed me.” He slid his talons down Asbel's chest, and the tatters of Asbel's knight uniform fell to the ground. Richard leaned closer, hissing between his teeth, “Some friend you are.”

Asbel repeated, “Richard, please...” but Richard was beyond hearing him. Asbel exhaled sharply as Richard slid his talons into Asbel's skin, but only cried out once Richard began to carve perfect squares of skin and peel them away. Before long, he knew nothing but methodic slices and screaming pain where his skin used to be, and his own ears flooded with the panicked beating of his heart growing more and more afraid. It was when Richard placed his talons to either side of Asbel's face that he tried, one last time. “Richard, please...”

The last thing Asbel heard was the sound of Richard laughing.


End file.
